Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My right honourable friend the Minister of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am publishing today the Government's response to the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee's report of 1 August on reform of the coroners' system and death certification. Copies have been placed in the Libraries. It will also be made available on the Department for Constitutional Affairs website.
	The draft Coroners Bill was published on 12 June. In the Bill we aim to do three things. First, we will improve the way that the system serves the public interest and meets bereaved families' concerns. The Bill will give families involved in the inquest process a clear legal standing in the system. We will also give families new rights through a new complaints and appeals system, enabling them to challenge a coroner's decision, and the introduction of a charter for bereaved people, which lays out the level of service that families can expect. Secondly, we will strengthen coroners' work. The Bill will establish a proper appointments system for coroners, who will have to be legally qualified and will have to work full time as coroners, instead of having another job and working part time as coroners. Thirdly, we will create a national structure for coroners' work. For the first time there will be a Chief Coroner, who will provide national leadership for coroners, as the Lord Chief Justice does for judges. This will be supported by national standards, a coronial advisory council, a proper inspection system and national training for coroners and their officers.
	I thank the committee for its thorough inquiry into our proposals to reform the coroners system, as set out in the draft Coroners Bill, and for the additional consideration it gave to death certification. The Government regard pre-legislative scrutiny as a vital step in the consultation process.
	Our public consultation exercise on the Bill has almost concluded. We are considering very carefully the views put forward about our proposals before finalising the Bill for parliamentary introduction as soon as time allows.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: My right honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Items on the agenda were as follows:
	Financial Management—Ministers received a presentation from Hubert Weber, the President of the Court of Auditors, on the Court of Auditors' report on the 2005 general budget.
	Statistics: 2006 Status Report and EU Statistical Governance—ECOFIN adopted conclusions on the Economic and Financial Committee's 2006 status report and other statistical issues.
	Sustainability of Public Finances: Sustainability Report—Ministers held an exchange of views and adopted conclusions on the Commission report regarding the sustainability of public finances.
	Excise Duties: Minimum Rates on Alcoholic Beverages—ECOFIN discussed issues relating to the minimum excise rates on alcoholic beverages.
	VAT and Excise Duties: Travellers' Allowances Directive—Ministers discussed issues relating to the Travellers' Allowances Directive.
	ECOFIN Ministers also met with European Free Trade Area Finance Ministers to discuss energy policy and climate change. Finance Ministers agreed in principle to bring the European Free Trade Area members into the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ed Balls) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	In line with measures I announced to Parliament on 10 October regarding the strengthening of counter-terrorist financing frameworks, the Government will be seeking the agreement of the Privy Council on 14 November for the adoption of two Orders in Council concerned with giving effect to UN financial sanctions regimes against Al-Qaida and the Taliban, and North Korea. The Government strongly support international efforts to tackle abuse of financial systems and these new orders will further enhance the UK's ability to play its full part in these international actions.
	Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2006
	UN financial sanctions against persons associated with Al-Qaida and the Taliban are currently given effect in the UK through the Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2002. The new order will update these earlier provisions, bringing them into line with the new Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 that came into effect on 12 October 2006.
	The Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 will further strengthen our powers to freeze assets, including the property of persons listed at the United Nations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions or who we suspect are persons acting on their behalf, and to prevent funds or economic resources being made available to them.
	North Korea (United Nations Measures) Order 2006
	Following North Korea's announced nuclear test, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on 14 October 2006 to adopt resolution 1718 (2006), which calls upon all member states to impose sanctions against North Korea's nuclear, ballistic missile and other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes. The North Korea (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 will give effect to the financial sanctions measures set out in Resolution 1718.
	Consistent with the UN Security Council resolutions and with other financial sanctions legislation, both Orders in Council include provisions to allow the Treasury to licence exemptions to the restrictions to meet legitimate humanitarian needs.